Field
Example embodiments relate to a game service system and a game service method for a global game service.
Discussion of the Background
Online games refer to games services based on a network connection. Examples of online games include games being played based on an Internet connection and mostly correspond to multimedia games designed to perform multiple user plays performed through the Internet connection. Users may be provided with an online game service by directly connecting to servers that provide the online game service.
FIG. 1 illustrates a structure of a system for a game service according to the related art. Referring to FIG. 1, to use a game service, a user may be provided with a game play service by connecting to a game service platform 120 using a user terminal 110, by connecting to a lobby server 140 of a predetermined channel using a channel list 130 provided from the game service platform 120, and by connecting to a room server 150 that provides a game room selected at the lobby server 140. In this instance, a multi-player game such as a match between users connected to the same lobby server 140 may be performed. For example, the lobby server 140 and the room server 150 may provide matching or a game service for a match between users using a database 160. In FIG. 1, a section connected with solid lines indicates a last-mile section, for example, a section for the user terminal 110 to connect to individual servers, for example, the game service platform 120, the lobby server 140, the room server 150, and the channel list 130. A section connected with dotted lines indicates a mild-mile section that is an internal section between game service providing devices other than the user terminal 110. In addition, the game service platform 120 may indicate a platform for a game portal service.
As described above, in the related art, the user may use the game service by directly connecting to individual servers and thus, it is more likely that the user may experience network delay of the last-mile section that is a section for the user terminal 110 to connect to the individual servers, for example, the game service platform 120, the lobby server 140, the room server 150, and the channel list 130 connected with solid lines. In particular, in the last-mile section, the user terminal 110 and the individual servers communicate with each other using a general communication line, for example, wired or wireless Internet. Accordingly, a game service provider may have no way for solving the network delay. Considering the current evolution of the mobile communication environment, the above issue may further increase.
Also, due to system architecture according to the related art in which users connect to individual servers, a multi-player game is allowed only between users connected to the same channel or the same channel lobby server. For example, in a global game service, users in Korea may connect to a lobby server constructed in Korea and may play a multi-player game between the users of Korea. Users in Philippines may connect to a lobby server constructed in Philippines and may play a multi-player game between the users of Philippines.
To enable a match between users connected to different servers, an inter-user multi-player service may be provided using a game server by disconnecting the connection of users to existing game servers and by connecting the users to the same game server, for example, a single lobby server. Thus, the process is complex and delay occurs for progress of the above process.
Further, if a user in Philippines is to connect to a server constructed in Korea to support further various inter-user multi-player games, a last-mile section between the user of Philippines and the server of Korea is significantly extended. Accordingly, although connections of users are brought together at a single game server, the quality of game service for the users may not be guaranteed.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a system construction for providing a global game service according to the related art. It is assumed that three countries, for example, a first country 210, a second country 220, and a third country 230, provide a global game service. Here, in the related art, game servers are constructed for individual countries, respectively. For example, a first game server 211 is constructed in the first country 210, a second game server 221 is constructed in the second country 220, and a third game server 231 is constructed in the third country 230. Users of each country connect to a game server constructed in the corresponding country and play a game through the connected game servers, respectively. For example, users of the first country 210 connect to the first game server 211 and play a game. In this example, in the related art, a multi-player game is allowed only between users connected to the same game server. For a multi-player game between users of different countries, users of other countries connect to a predetermined game server constructed in a predetermined country to play the game with the user in the predetermined country. For example, users of the second country 220 and the third country 230 connect to the first game server 211 of the first country 210 to play a game with users of the first country 210. In this example, the users of the second country 220 and the third country 230 may experience network delay at a last-mile section, that is, an inter-country section and thus, it may be difficult to substantially provide a global multi-player game. Similarly, the above issue may arise even in a single country in which a plurality of Internet data centers (IDCs) are present.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.